Screening

In its 10th Annual Thesis Showcase, SVA MFA Social Documentary Film is proud to celebrate Group 10, the class of 2020! They will share their work-in-progress thesis films, which inspire and amaze—especially as they began their films before the pandemic reached our shores, and finished and edited them in this newfound isolation. Screenings will take place from Thursday, April 1, through Sunday, April 4.

This showcase celebrates the work of Veronique Engel, Adam Evans, Catherine Finsness, Yuby Hernandez, Keliang Li, Hansen Lin, Oxana Onipko, Rohan Rao, Reed Smith, Ben Wang, Shuming Zhang, Zooey Zhang and Weixin Zhuang. Class of 2020 graduates not screening their films include Mark Crowell, Jamie Deredorian Delia, Shiqin Gao, Ao Li and Cheng Yang.

**Filmmaker Q&As**

In addition to the online screenings, SocDoc hosts live Q&A events with the filmmakers, SocDoc faculty, and special guests.

Thursday April 1, 7:00pm ET

Waste is My Passion, Director: Yuby Hernandez

The Last Cut, Director: Ben Wang

Tie Up, Director: Weixin Zhuang

Friday, April 2, 7:00pm ET

Mountain's Heart, Director: Hansen Lin

Into the Black and Blue Forest, Director: Oxana Onipko

Rebels Against Hunger, Director: Reed Smith

** SHOWCASE SPOTLIGHT **

Saturday April 3, 10:00am ET

Wata Dawtas, Director: Veronique Engel

Sisters of Summit, Director: Catherine Finsness

Sweet Summer Tangelos, Director: Keliang Li

Three Threads, Director: Rohan Rao

Saturday April 3, 7:00pm ET

The Ballad Of Tombstone, AZ, Director: Adam Evans

Dancing Inward, Director: Shuming Zhang

Busker, Director: Zooey Zhang

**Filmmakers Reception**

Saturday, April 3, 8:30pm ET. Held online in an unusual virtual space.

Email mfasocdoc@sva.edu with questions, to request a print brochure or to contact any of our filmmakers.

**Thesis Showcase Spotlight**

Selected filmmakers have the opportunity to share their films with a group of documentary Industry Advisors who can potentially help further their projects – and careers. In addition, these filmmakers will receive career strategy consultations from the Industry Advisors. The filmmakers selected for this year's spotlight are: Veronique Engel (Wata Dawtas); Cat Finsness (Sisters of Summit); Keliang Li (Sweet Summer Tangelos) and Rohan Rao (Three Threads). All graduates also receive a career consultation meeting, as well as a membership in the International Documentary Association, and a fee waiver for the 2021 DOC NYC Film Festival; Showcase Spotlight filmmakers receive a membership to The Gotham Film & Media Institute.

Showcase Spotlight Industry

Loren Hammonds, VP, Immersive Programming, Tribeca Film Festival (Cat, Keliang)

Sara Rodriguez, Senior VP for Documentary, HBO (Cat, Keliang)

Marcie Hume, Senior Executive Producer, A&E (Veronique, Rohan)

Dana Merwin, Program Officer, Enterprise Fund, International Documentary Association

(Veronique, Rohan) 

Industry Advisors (one-on-one meetings)

Samah Ali, Shorts Associate Programmer, DOC NYC

Marie-Helene Carleton, filmmaker, Four Corners Media, co-founder ScreeningRoom.org

Dominic Davis | Senior Programmer, Rooftop Films

Micah Garen, filmmaker, Four Corners Media, co-founder ScreeningRoom.org

Charlotte Reekers, Sr. Program Manager, Documentary, The Gotham Film & Media Institute

Jose Rodriguez, Programmer, Tribeca Film Festival

Merrill Sterritt, Head of Alliances + Cultural Engagement, Cinereach

Milton Tabbot, Sr. Director of Programming, The Gotham Film & Media Institute

Ciarán Toner, New Talent and Content Manager, BAFTA

Basil Tsiokos, Director of Programming for DOC NYC, Film Program Director for the Nantucket Film Festival, Documentary Programming Associate for the Sundance Film Festival

Susan Wrubel, Executive & Artistic Director, Aspen Film

Hao Wu, director, 76 Days

Donald Young, Director of Programs, Center for Asian American Media